Thomas r



(No Model.)

T. R. BELL & D. A. CARSON.

LIFE PRESERVER.

Patented Feb. 9, 1897 WITNESSES.-

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NiTEn STATES ATENT Fries,

THOMAS R. BELL AND DAVID A. CARSON, OF BROOKLYN, NE\V YORK; SAIDOARSON'ASSIGNOR TO SAID BELL.

LIFE-PRESERVER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 576,649, dated February9, 1897.

Application filed March 17, 1896,

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, THOMAS R. BELL and DAVID A. CARSON, citizens of theUnited States, and residents of Brooklyn, in the county of KingsandState of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Bathing-Suits, of whiah the following is a specification, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof, in whichsimilar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates to bathing-suits, and especially to those of abuoyant character, adapted to detachably receive inflatable pouches orbags, which may be connected with or detached from the suit, as desired,and the further object is to provide a suit of this character in whichthe air-compartments are so disposed as not to interfere with themotions of the wearer in swimming or bathing and in which the buoyancyof the suit may be regulated according as desired by the wearer; andwith this and other objects in view our invention consists in-theconstruction, arrangement, and combination of parts hereinafter morefully described in the specification and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a front view of a bathing-suitconstructed according to our invention. Fig. 2 is a rear view of thesame. Fig. 3 is a vertical section through one of the compartm cuts ofthe suit and the air bags or. pouches secured therein, and Fig. 4 is asectional detail view of the valve connected with the air bags orpouches.

Similar characters of reference designate like parts throughout theseveral views.

In the practice of our invention we provide a suit A, formed in onepiece and provided with openings for the neck and limbs and being opendown the front, which opening is adapted to be closed by means of arowof buttons se-' cured to one side of the suit adapted to engage a seriesofbuttonholes on the opposite side. e do not, however, desire to confineourselves to the particular construction of this suit, as wemay vary thesame without departing from our invention.

Formed on or connected with the suit A are a number of compartments Band O, the com- Serial No. 583,513. (No model.)

partments B being located upon the upper portionof the front of the suitand consisting of pockets constructed, preferably, of the same materialas the suits, which are stitched 5 3 or otherwise secured to the suits,said pockets or compartments being formed of two portions or sections band b. The lower portion b is secured at the bottom and sides to thesuit, the top being open for the inrrod notion of the pouches or bags.Over the upper part of the portion b is formed or connected a cover I),which is attached across the top, and a portion of the sides are securedto the suit A, the attachmenttothesuitextendingslightlybeyond the top ofthe portion 1), and to the lower free end or extremity of cover I) issecured a strap or strip D, adapted to engage the buckle cl, secured tothe suit below and adjacent to the bottom portion B,'and by means ofthis strap and buckle the cover 1) maybe securely closed and retained inposition. These compartments B and C may be arranged as desired upon afront and rear portion of a suit A, but these are preferably located asshown in the drawings, as in this position they offer the leastinterference with the movements of the wearer when swimming or bathing;but, if desired, said compartments B may be transferred from the frontof the suitA to a position under the arms. Vithin these compartments Band O is movably secured an inflatable bag or pouch E, constructed ofmaterial which will retain air and will be impervious to water, and eachof these pouches E is provided with 8 5 an inflating-valve F, (shown indetail in Fig. 4,) consist-ing of a plate G, having aconcavoconvexcentral portion in which is a central opening g, and connected with theunder side of said plate, around the concave portion thereof, is anannular depending flange or rim H, to which is secured anoutwardly-directed horizontal flange h, and upon the periphery of theplate G and the flange his formed an annular inwardly-directed head or 5shoulder g and h, which clamp and securely hold the material of thepouches or bags, whereby said valve is retained in position without theuse of rivets or screws, thereby obviating the possibility of a leakagefrom rob the puncture of the material of the pouch.

Within the concave or under portion the plate G and flange H is securedthe valve K, which is held in position by means of a flat spring L,riveted to the annular horizontal flange h. The operation of this valvewill be readily understood and the bags or pouches maybe inflated by thebreath, oran air-pump may be used for the purpose, it being understoodthat the air is forced through the passage g, which depresses the valveand permits the air to enter the bag or pouch, and when the bags orpouches E have been inflated they are inserted within the compartments Band O and the cover bis secured by means of the strap D to the buckle(Z, and the suit is ready for use.

The bags or pouches may be but partially inflated, if desired, and oneor more may be used, as preferred by the wearer, and the pouches or bagsmay be removed from the compartments in the suit and the suit may bewashed, after which the pouches or bags may be replaced, and it will beunderstood that the compartments are preferably made of the same size,and therefore any suit can be supplied with bags or pouches withoutreference to the size of the suit.

V0 may make such changes and modifications of the construction andarrangement of the several parts as fairly come within the scope of ourinvention.

Having fully described our invention, what we claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Paten'r, is-

1. The combination with an inflatable bag or pouch of a valve consistingof a concavoconvex plate having a central bore, said plate beingprovided with a depending annular flange to the lower edge of which isconnected an outwardly-direeted flange and a springactuated ball-valvewithin said depending flange to close said bore, substantially as andfor the purpose set forth.

2. The com bination with a bathing-suit pro vided with two-partcompartments having a closing-flap to secure the same in position,substantially as described, of detachable inflatable bags or pouches,adapted to be socured in said compartments, said bags or pouches beingprovided With a spring-actuated ball-valve to control the admission andescape of air from the bags or pouches, all arranged, designed andoperating as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our invention we have signedour names, in presence of the subscribing witnesses, this lith day ofMarch, 1890.

THOMAS R. BELL. DAVID A. CARSON. V itnesses:

WILsON LEE CANNON, Jr., C. GERsT.

